|Ch.73

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Luca and Ruby were sitting on infront of the Pendragon gates since Luca was free from his duty for the day. It's been almost a week since Pendragons had left but no one had returned. Since the day they left,both Ruby and Luca made a habit of sitting infront of the gates drinking and doing some board games. Both of them never shared why they did it but they knew. Both of them were waiting for Hazel at the gate.

Moon was up above them shinning brightly.

Luca grabbed his hair in frustration when he lost to Ruby for the millionth time. After all,she is a gambling addiction,so naturally she knew how to win any game. The guards were too used to them sitting around the gate whenever they had time.

Luca cursed and threw a cold coin at Ruby,"Gold digging bitch"

Ruby stuck out her tongue with her blank face and hid the coin inside her gown pocket.

"My lord!!",A guard exclaimed.

Both Ruby and Luca stiffened. The echoes of footsteps were heard silencing every sound around them. It was a slow motion moment for them as they looked at each other with wide eyes before shifting their gaze towards the group of people who came right infront of them.

They were all bloodied from head to toe. But Luca and Ruby couldn't care less about blood. Their eyes were glued to the girl in Jungkook's arms,unconscious.

"My lady",Ruby whispered in disbelief. Her eyes teared up for reasons she couldn't clearly figure out. Happiness? Sorrow? She didn't know. The exhaustion she felt the past weak left her body instantly.

Luca had a complete blank face,muscles stiff. His lips wobbled a bit but he didn't let anyone catch it.

Jungkook walked past them without a word with Hazel in his arms.

Ruby wondered why they didn't have any happy expression even after getting Hazel back but what she saw next gave her the answer. The dead body of Kalisto came to the view. Seokjin was carrying the body with no emotion in his eyes. Ruby covered her mouth in shock.

Luca had wide eyes as if he had seen a terrible nightmare. His heart sank seeing his uncle's dead body. Is this....the price Pendragons had to pay for going to hell to bring back their sister? What will Hazel feel after all of this? He didn't want to imagine.

All the Pendragons walked past them in silence.

Luca held his hair as if he couldn't digest anything. Ruby held him by his forearm. "Get a hold of yourself. We need to be there for Hazel"

Luca closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath but he felt something hindering his breathing. It was hard to breath. "Fuck",he banged his hand onto his head and took another deep breath. After relaxing a bit,he nodded. They need to be there for her.

_______

Hazel opened her eyes to a bright light making her eyes squeeze.

"My lady?"

Someone was calling her.

"Oi,shit babe. Can you hear me?"

Hazel adjusted her vision and turned her head to see Ruby sitting next to her and Luca standing behind Ruby with crossed arms. For a moment,she didn't remember what happened. But after a moment,everything started piling up inside her head like a broken record. Her eyes widened slowly as she sat up with a loud gasp. "P –Papa!"

"My lady! Calm down"

Hazel's chest heaved up and down. "Papa! No no no!",she held her hair like a crazy woman gritting her teeth.

Luca worked up seeing her like that. Worry crossing over his eyes,he took a step forward. "Oi calm down! Hazel!"

Hazel couldn't hear them. She shook her head violently. Flashbacks of Kalisto's last moments crossed over her vision blurring her eyes. Tears fell over her sheets as she gritted her teeth in pain.

"Hazel! My little girl. Papa loves you"

"NO!!!",Hazel screamed pulling her hair harshly.

"I don't want you to go through this"

"NO NO NO!!!"

Kalisto died in her arms. She remembered it. His chest was cut opened infront of her. His bloody hand reaching her face for the last time to say how much he loves her.

"AAAAAHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Ruby hugged her immediately while Luca sat behind Hazel hugging both Hazel and Ruby. Hazel was in the middle of Luca and Ruby receiving their warmth and comfort.

Though Ruby had closed eyes,Luca had wide terrified eyes. He had never seen Hazel like this. And this is his first time feeling pain for someone else. It was hard. And he didn't even know why he is doing this but he couldn't reason with his brain. He didn't even know if it was Hazel or him that is trembling right now. He did this in pure instinct.

Hazel cried harder and harder in their embrace.

"...I killed him. He died...b–because of me",Hazel mumbled. "I –I only wanted to protect them but —",she hiccupped and couldn't complete her sentence.

Ruby and Luca stayed silent. They knew that she wouldn't listen to them now. They can only be there for her.

Kalisto's sad smile was all Hazel could see. She loved him so much. Her father. Even though she was just his niece,he loved her as his own daughter. And she never wanted another man as her father. Kalisto is and will always be her father.

________

Kalisto's death was a huge shock to the entire kingdom. Some people found it hard to believe while some people took this as a chance to gain power.

Seokjin had to take the grand Duke position as soon as he came back to secure the safety of the family. He didn't have time to mourn for his father because of how busy he got. The funeral was held to show respect to the former grand Duke. Luna,Seokjin's wife did everything related to the funeral and was beside Seokjin all the time. She also made sure to check on Hazel time to time.

The days past in an instant for Hazel. She was not in the world. Empty and numb. She could hear Ruby's and Luca's voice time to time but she had no mind to respond. She was lost.

When they buried Kalisto in the family grave,she stood next to her brothers silently.

"Let's go inside",she heard Yoongi's voice next to her.

She looked upto see only her brothers in the grave yard. And it's already raining darkening the evening even more.

"I want to stay a little more",she whispered.

Hoseok was about to protest since it was raining but Namjoon stopped him.

"Alright. But come back soon",Namjoon said softly.

Hazel nodded slightly.

Namjoon pecked her forehead before leaving. Seokjin,Hoseok and Jungkook also pecked her forehead while Jimin and Taehyung ruffled her hair affectionately.

They all left her alone. Hazel sat infront of her father's grave and stared at it. The rain slowly touched her skin making her shiver.

"Papa",she whispered but she had nothing to say. She didn't know if the water drops on her face were tears or rain drops.

She felt someone's presence beside her but she didn't turn back. A pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders,pressing a hard chest against her back.

"I'm sorry I was late",Dylan's voice rang next to her ear.

Orpheus had gone back to his body as Dylan.

Hazel shook her head suppressing her sobs,"It was his choice to leave me behind"

Dylan,"He didn't leave you. A part of him will always be with you"

"That's what hurting me",She whispered holding Dylan's arms. "It hurts"

"I know",he whispered. "I know sweetheart",he pressed a light peck on her temple.

Hazel choked on her sobs tightening her grip around his arms and he hugged her tighter.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Hey guys

Were you depressed with Kalisto's death?

See ya soon

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